Our Work
Community Driven Development
The backbone of Nexus’ programming, the Nexus model for community-driven development will form the foundation for Nexus interventions that strengthen livelihoods, build resiliency, develop infrastructure, train communities on housing, land and property rights, amongst other topics, and the like. Women will be primary targets for support, as they often play a lead role in realizing long-term solutions and have less flexibility than men in relation to alternative coping mechanisms. Agricultural inputs, market linkages and value chain additions underscore the intention of Nexus to find sustainable, market driven solutions to the challenges faced by Somali communities, and Nexus intends to explore and pilot private sector and diaspora partnerships, alongside extensive government engagement to ensure a transition of activities to government responsibility.
Integrated & Anticipatory Humanitarian Response
Humanitarian response in Somalia is hamstrung by an international aid ecosystem that is often reactive rather than proactive. Humanitarian programs are implemented in response to, not in anticipation of crisis. Nexus will change this dynamic through an integrated and anticipatory humanitarian response that acts proactively to mitigate the consequences of humanitarian crises before they occur. Through an anticipatory fund, standardized preemptive humanitarian measures, partnerships with local governments and communities and an integrated humanitarian infrastructure Nexus will revolutionize humanitarian response in Somalia.
Peacebuilding, Conflict Resolution and Social Cohesion
Conflict dynamics in Somalia are both vertical and horizontal, including between armed groups, clans and sub-clans, with a diversity of conflict drivers. Somalia also possesses intricate and deep systems for peacebuilding and conflict resolution, which Nexus will seek to draw on, while also seeking to diversify mechanisms and promote social cohesion. Interventions will include activities such as peace and civic education, conflict resolution training and reconciliation initiatives. Support for women to more effectively engage in peacebuilding and conflict resolution will also be delivered within the frameworks of NEXUS. Despite the lack of any state or national level peace processes, under this pillar, Nexus will seek to capture lessons learned and community-based approaches to institutionalize broader peacebuilding and conflict resolution throughout the Somali contexts.
Women’s Empowerment
Although there will be a major focus on women’s empowerment throughout all pillars, a standalone pillar is warranted considering the depth and persistence of gender inequity in Somalia and Somaliland. A significant focus of this pillar will include research and advocacy to inform humanitarian, development and peace actors and advocate for improved ways of working that more coherently address women’s specific needs. Additionally, focus will be paid towards camp management, clan and religious leaders in efforts to ensure more widespread momentum for the empowerment of women. At the governmental level, this will include advocacy for the adoption and implementation of the Sexual Offences Bill in Somalia and implementation in Somaliland, alongside efforts to enhance the representation of women in parliament. Matching these activities, community-level gender leadership programmes (GLP) will be explored modelled on the GLP for civil society and private sector women.
Civil Society Strengthening, Leadership and Responsive Authorities
This pillar will focus on ensuring a coherent and cascading model of institutional strengthening for Nexus’ members and a group of phase two members, alongside setting common standards in the sector. Nexus members will be supported with software and hardware tailored towards their specific needs and through training of trainer modalities, enabling them to then replicate interventions other institutions, thus creating the cascading effect. In connection, this pillar will also have a strong advocacy component and constructive engagement with local authorities, including Nexus’ ambitions for thought leadership through nuanced, context-specific research initiatives to guide broader programmatic interventions, and also leverage for advocacy purposes.
Nexus Aim
Nexus is strategically investing with an aim to shape the future in Somalia and Somaliland and breaks the silos of humanitarian aid, development and peacebuilding interventions.